Fernando Alonso says he is relieved to get good mileage under his belt in the McLaren-Honda MP4-31 at the start of the second F1 pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya after having his progress disrupted in the first test.

The Spaniard spent the final day of the opening test on the sidelines after a coolant leak surfaced early on, but while a software problem ahead of the break resulted in a brief delay, he completed 93 laps and turned in the third fastest time.

Focusing on the power unit, though Alonso says it is too early to determine the rate of improvement over last year's effort he was pleased to at least enjoy a largely trouble-free day.

“After the disappointment of not being able to complete much running at the end of last week's test, it was positive to get so many laps on the board today.

“We tested a number of different configurations and spent a lot of time working on the power unit and collecting data from the aerodynamics. It's too early to tell a real difference compared to the engine last week, as we focussed today on shorter runs and adjusting the balance and set-up of the car.

“However, today's full day of running has been a good start to the second test, and has provided us with lots of useful data that we can analyse overnight before Jenson continues the programme tomorrow.”

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